Raya, Dode, Ahava
by emptylocket
Summary: Today we use the word 'love' in many different ways. I love cars, I love to paint, I would love to smack you... What is the definition of the word 'love' Three Hebrew words together make up the one English word for 'love': Raya, Dode, and Ahava. inuxkag
1. The Day I Met You

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha 

_**Chapter 1**_

_**The Day I Met You**_

Love is complicated. Today we use the word 'love' to describe a lot of things. "I love ice cream." "I love to paint." "I love my cat." "I love my parents." "I would love to hit you." "I love my spouse." What is the definition of the word 'love?' Way back when they were better with words. In Hebrew there are three words that make up the one English word for love: Raya, Dode, and Ahava. You put them all together and you have real true love. Just what do they each mean? Some familiar faces are about to find out.

_Come live with me, and be my love,_

_And we will all the pleasures prove_

_That valleys, groves, hills, and fields,_

_Woods, or steepy mountain yields._

_And we will sit upon the rocks,_

_Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks_

_By shallow rivers, to whose falls_

_Melodious birds sing madrigals._

_And I will make thee beds of roses,_

_And a thousand fragrant posies,_

_A cap of flowers, and a kirtle,_

_Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle._

_A gown made of the finest wool_

_Which from our pretty lambs we pull,_

_Fair linéd slippers for the cold,_

_With buckles of the purest gold._

_A belt of straw and ivy buds, _

_With coral clasps and amber studs,_

_And if these pleasures may thee move,_

_Come live with me, and be my love._

_The shepherd swains shall dance and sing_

_For thy delight each May morning._

_If these delights thy mind may move,_

_Then live with me and by my love._

"_The Passionate Shepherd to His Love"_

_Christopher Marlowe_

.:'--':.

Another Monday morning in August, a tall and lean, but also muscular, man lay tangled in his bead linens. His hair slipped down his bare shoulders and over his face in response to his two fuzzy dog-ears twitching back in an attempt to muffle the piercing blare of his alarm clock. Inuyasha rolled his way out of bed, hit the floor with a dull thud he hoped would wake his downstairs neighbors, and turned off the offending alarm clock. He was too tired to open his eyes, but his ears swiveling back and forth informed him that no one else was awake yet. Granted, his roommate could sleep through a tornado and never know the difference. It was still dark out with no hint of the approaching morning and there was no force strong enough in the world to make this stubborn hanyou want to go to school.

That is, except one.

Inuyasha grinned groggily as he picked himself up off the floor in preparation for a brisk shower. "Kikyou," he mumbled to himself in his deep, rumbling morning voice weighted down by the disuse of his vocal cords. She was perfect. Inuyasha had never fallen for a girl before like he had Kikyou. She was the reason that he got out of bed every morning. She was the only reason he tolerated staying at the good-for-nothing college that he was currently enrolled in.

Inuyasha had contemplated dropping out of college back the year before when he was a sophomore. In fact, Inuyasha was packing his bags when she walked in his front door and into his life. He was just moments away from driving away and she was lost, he remembered. She stood there, her long, straight, dark hair pulled back reveling eyes that conveyed the determination she had to convince Inuyasha that she was, in fact, in the right spot. The thought of Kikyou's deliberate attitude made Inuyasha chuckle. She pretended that she knew exactly where she was going. Kikyou always had that air about her. It was like she knew exactly what she was doing and exactly how and when she wanted to.

Inuyasha walked out his front door and down the dark silent hall. His soft footsteps were the only sound of life in the building. No one takes 8 am classes if he or she can avoid it. It just so happened that Inuyasha couldn't. It still caused little scowl lines to appear on his forehead when he remembered the long, drawn-out battle he had over his schedule. Inuyasha sighed and allowed his ears to droop just a bit from their usual alert position. At least this way he has lunch with her.

It was funny how they didn't get along at first. Kikyou and Inuyasha were totally repulsed by each other for the longest time it felt like. It wasn't until the day that he found her studying by herself that he realized that he had feelings for the girl. She addressed him when he thought she didn't notice him. He didn't say anything back, but it wasn't long before he could call the raven-haired beauty his.

The cold water hit Inuyasha full force, causing his tiny goose bumps to multiply in size and number. Inuyasha was definitely awake now. At least it wouldn't take long for the frigid water to soon warm up. Another reason to wake up at this unreasonable hour included no waiting time for showers and his fill of hot water.

The past year had been amazing. They spent every day together. Inuyasha quickly fell in love with everything about her. She made up his entire world. He couldn't even dream of a day without her. Of course, he had never said any of this. Inuyasha and Kikyou never really talked about it. He had never had a serious relationship before and saying "I love you" definitely seemed like a bad idea. Kikyou seemed to shy away from talking about their relationship; however, she did make one thing clear. Kikyou wanted to marry Inuyasha. She said it once and they never spoke of it again. It didn't matter, though. He knew that she must really care about him so he left it alone. He just knew that one day, when the time was right, he would share his true feelings with her.

Inuyasha turned off the shower and the goose bumps that had faded into his rough skin painfully returned. He dried and dressed, grabbed his books from his dorm, and set off for his first class.

Inuyasha half dozed, half took notes during his first two classes of the day. Most of the mornings were always a blur to him anyway. He would find out what he learned later when he reread his notes or lack thereof, but now it was time for lunch and lunch meant two things: food and Kikyou. Ah, yes. These thoughts put a spring in the boy's step and that quirky smirk on his face. Inuyasha picked up his pace to the dining hall as he thought about the two best things in the world awaiting him there.

Kikyou glanced up and saw the hanyou walking toward her with that smirk on his face and a tray with enough food to please any third world nation in his hands. She beamed at him and glanced back down to the book she was reading as he took his usual seat next to her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and gave her a quick squeeze. Kikyou kept her charcoal eyes on her book but turned her head to receive the customary kiss.

"Hey," she said airily as she smiled at him, turning her gaze to him quickly before planting them firmly back into the book.

"Hey, yourself," the boy joked back. "You know, if you do that too much your face will stick that way."

"Stick like what? From reading?" Kikyou's tinkling laughter never failed to bring that goofy grin to his face. He had to admit, her constant reading was a bit annoying to him, but he would have to let it slide for now. Kikyou was majoring in pre-medicine, but her minor was British Literature, her true love. She had almost no time to do her reading due to all her labs and classes for her major, so Inuyasha had grown accustomed to seeing her always buried in some ancient book. Besides, he knew that if it came down to choosing which one she liked more he hoped she would pick a living being over words.

"What _are_ you reading?"

"Shakespearian and Spenserian love sonnets," the girl replied back coolly as her fork prodded distractedly at her barely touched salad.

"Do they tell you to starve yourself? You hardly eat anything. It's no wonder you're so skinny!" Inuyasha always chided her on not eating enough. She was just absent minded when she read and feeding her soul seemed to be more of a priority than sustaining her body.

"Actually, in a way they do, what with telling women to marry young before they get to be old hags. If I'm not skinny and beautiful, how will I ever find a nice man to marry me? Besides, don't you like having skinny arm candy?"

This was routine for the two as they playfully bantered back and forth. Time slipped away from them as they got lost in each other's smile, and soon they were on the verge of being late to their next classes. With a peck they said good-bye and made a promise of reuniting that evening.

Inuyasha sighed after he blew her a kiss and watched her walk away with her nose rubbing away at the ink of a book again. Yes, he was definitely whipped. Blowing kisses, love sonnets, what would the boy give in to next?

.:'--':.

Kagome breathed in. She was awake five minutes before her alarm would go off, as usual, but she enjoyed this time to relax before the rotation of the world would force her to get up or risk being late to class.

She was just weeks into her freshman year in college and she loved every second of it. Her friends from high school, though they had followed her to college, had spread apart and Kagome greatly enjoyed meeting new people. She especially enjoyed meeting one certain individual.

It was only her first week when she bumped into him. He was walking around with a bunch of his friends and she was more than lost. He took her to her classroom and made up some obvious lie about it being his class, too. He sat through the entire class despite the strange looks the professor kept shooting him. No guy ever gave her attention like him, and was a junior! More than she could have even hoped for! His long hair, sweet smile, and piercing eyes were slowly starting to warm her over. Just last week they hung out in the student center together. The film club was putting on a movie in there and they had 'accidentally' met up there. It got late and Kagome was exhausted. One of the last moments she remembered was looking up at the clock. It was 11:11. Feeling rather childish, she couldn't pass up the opportunity. She made a wish. Maybe she would find out what that cute boy sitting next to her felt about her. As Kagome started to drift off, she felt fingers timidly prodding her own. Confused, she looked at the person poking her, but his eyes were resolutely set on the screen. Finally, the fingers gained confidence and linked with her fingers. Now she understood clearly. By the end of the movie she was fast asleep with her head on his shoulder and one of his arms wrapped firmly around her waist.

Kagome giggled. Kouga was sweet like that. So, she figured he must like her, but what happens next? Kagome, although she was very pretty, had never had a boyfriend before. Do people in college actually have boyfriends, or do they just date? She figured she would find out soon enough.

Besides the boy side to campus life, Kagome was also starting one friendship she hoped would last a lifetime. Sure, she knew that becoming friends with all these upperclassmen would probably turn out for the worst once they had to graduate, but did age really matter any more now that they were in college?

Her alarm clock finally rang. The ringing sound urged her out of bed and coaxed her into the shower to get ready.

After a quick shower, breakfast, and her first two classes of the morning, Kagome returned to her dorm room. A small white piece of paper was taped to her door. Upon closer inspection, she discovered it had her name written on it in what she could only guess what supposed to be fancy handwriting. Perhaps the writer just had a hand cramp? She opened it up. It took her a moment, but she finally deciphered the mess.

_Kagome,_

_Would you please do me the honor of meeting me this afternoon on the benches by the green? I'll be there at 3:30. _

_-Kouga_

So, was this it? She stood and thought about it a second. Didn't matter! She was excited! Kagome bounced around in place a moment doing her happy dance before trying to enter her dorm enthusiastically. She forgot the door was locked. She could only hope her forehead would not bruise before her hot date tonight on by the green. Down, but not out, Kagome took a second to find her key and unlock the door before attempting, once again, to enter enthusiastically.

Kagome managed to keep the rest of her day door-free, but nothing could keep her attention on her schoolwork. All day she could do nothing but dream of the blue-eyed babe who was requesting her attendance at the benches by the green. It replayed over and over again in her head, "at the benches by the green." She sighed. He was so romantic! She didn't know anyone else who had quite the same way with words.

It was 3:15. Kagome was on the phone with her new friend, Sango. Sango was doing what she could for the excited girl.

"But what if he is just trying to tell me that we're not really anything!" Kagome tried to think of other possibilities so she did not get her hopes up.

"If he wanted to tell you that, he would have told you in the note like a typical male!" Sango comforted with less than sympathetic words. They had been over this at least five times already. Sango was well aware of the game they were playing. She also knew Kouga quite well and the outcome of their meeting tonight was more than obvious. "Look, it's getting close to the time he wanted you to meet him. You better go! What will he think if you're late?"

"You're right! I'm sorry. I'll call you later, okay?" Kagome grinned into the phone. This was the start of a wonderful friendship.

"You better! Tell me what happens as soon as you get back! Good luck!" Sango hung up and smiled to herself. It was like being back in high school again. She really did like Kagome. Maybe they would end up being closer than she originally thought, perhaps even best friends.

Kagome walked slowly to the green, her stomach full of butterflies. As she approached the benches from behind, she saw him sitting on a bench sitting sideways and looking the other way. When she got closer she realized he was looking away with quite a lot of determination and a slight blush. As she arrived directly in front of him, he turned and looked at her.

"You came," he said with a wolfish grin.

"Of course," she blushed back at him.

"Let's make this quick," he didn't stand up, but kept his eyes locked with hers. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Kagome was instantly struck paralyzed. Her feet wouldn't budge, her lips wouldn't move, and she felt light headed. No matter how hard she tried, her vocal cords wouldn't work. The silence grew longer and more awkward. Do something, Kagome! Talk, faint, breathe, do anything! She nodded like an idiot in response to his question. Now her head wouldn't stop. She was like a bobble head doll.

Thankfully her new boyfriend saved the situation. Kouga stood up and hugged her. She managed to stop nodding long enough to avoid forehead collision. Suddenly unfrozen, Kagome raised her arms and hugged him back. She had never felt so safe before. He gave her a squeeze and pulled her back to look into her eyes.

"I want to see you. Tonight, if you can. My friends are all going out to this music club. It's pretty cool. There are coffee and music and poetry readings there. Will you come?"

In order to avoid another quite possibly disastrous situation, Kagome found her voice and replied, "I would love to."

A/N: Please let me know if you like it! Thanks for reading!


	2. Set in Motion

Inuyasha & co not mine 

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Set in motion**_

_If all the world and love were young,_

_And truth in every shepherd's tongue,_

_These pretty pleasures might me move,_

_To live with thee and be thy love._

_But time drives flocks from field to fold,_

_When rivers rage and rocks grow cold,_

_And Philomel becometh dumb;_

_The rest complains of cares to come._

_The flowers do fade, and wanton fields_

_To wayward winter reckoning yields;_

_A honey tongue, a heart of gall_

_Is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall._

_Thy gowns, thy shoes, thy roses,_

_Thy cap, thy kirtle, and thy posies,_

_Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten,_

_In folly ripe, in reason rotten._

_Thy belt of straw and ivy buds,_

_Thy coral clasps and amber studs,_

_All these in me no means can move_

_To come to thee and be thy love._

_But could youth last and love still breed,_

_Had joys no date, nor age no need,_

_Then these delights my mind might move_

_To live with thee and be thy love._

"_The Nymph's reply to the Shepherd" _

_Sir Walter Raleigh_

.:'--':.

The first thing Kagome did when she got back to her dorm was throw herself, forehead first, into her door again. In her excitement and freshman naivety, she forgot that the doors automatically lock behind you when you close them. Her heart felt like it was about to pound out of her chest and she couldn't see straight because of all the adrenaline rushing through her veins. By some chance of luck, her roommate was in and let the floating Kagome into the living space they shared.

The bewildered roommate looked at Kagome. "Did you just knock? That was some funny sounding knock. You could have just let yourself in, or did you forget your key again?"

"Hello, Rin," Kagome sang to her roommate in a light, melodious voice.

"Alright, who hit you with the happy stick?" Rin smiled at her roommate as she watched her twirl around the room.

Kagome paused for a minute and gave her friend and goofy grin with a sideways glance. "He asked me out."

There was no further explanation needed. Both girls shrieked and bounced about the room in a moment of unbridled joy. Rin had been following Kagome's blooming romance with the cute upperclassmen and was just as happy as the new girlfriend. The two had grown quite close since they were both innocent freshman.

"Congratulations!" Rin managed squealed back.

Kagome proceeded to explain the whole story to her giggling roomie. Suddenly, she stopped in mid-sentence. The girls stared at each other before Kagome's eyes darted to the phone before locking once again with Rin's. "Sango," the girl screeched. Both lunged for the phone, fumbling with it before Rin grabbed it, dialed the number, and handed it to Kagome when it started to ring.

"Hello?" Sango's confident voice was heard on the other end.

"He asked me out!" Kagome squealed back into the phone.

"I knew it! Didn't I tell you he would? I need details now!"

Rin and Kagome the story to Sango tag teaming back and forth where one forgot details. Time passed quickly and an hour later Rin and Kagome found themselves lying on Kagome's bed with the receiver split between their ears so they could both talk and listen. As Rin chatted away, her roaming eyes passed over a clock.

"Holy jeez! Oh my gosh, you guys, it's almost 5! I really have to go. I have a lab in a few minutes. Let's talk more tonight at the club. I'll be there later after my lab gets out." With those words from Rin, the three girls promised to meet and hung up so that Rin could go to class.

After Rin left, Kagome dragged herself up from her bed and walked down to the bathroom to wash her face. It was still just soaking in. Kagome had her first boyfriend. Soon enough she was skipping back while shrieking periodically to her room to change her clothes.

Everything was so new to Kagome, she didn't really know where to begin. Tonight they were going out! Humming to herself while dreaming of her evening, Kagome dressed and primped. Should she be so nervous? What should she wear? Should she call Sango again? She had been on dates before, granted never with a boyfriend. Plus, they were just going to hang out with his friends.

It was still half an hour to go until he picked her up. Kagome took her time making sure she looked just right. She surfed the Internet for a few minutes, and finally when only 5 minutes were left, she resigned herself to sit and wait by the window for him to come.

Just when she was about to start zoning out, a familiar face caught her attention. Kagome immediately perked up as she watched her new boyfriend enter her building. Suddenly all the nerves and tension were back with a vengeance.

'This is it, girl! Pull yourself together!' Kagome giggled at her self-talk. Breathing in and out slowly, her nerves gradually soothed. Breathe in through the nose, and out through the mouth. In with the breath. Out with the stress.

Knock knock

Forget composure. Kagome careened around her dorm, grabbing keys, lipstick, purse, and other essentials. Quickly pausing to check her reflection in the mirror by the door, Kagome smoothed her top and took in one last deep breath before plastering on a million-dollar-smile and opening the door.

There he was, standing outside her door in his entire hunky splendor. He turned to look at her. Apparently he hasn't expected her to be so prompt in opening to the door for him. His face broke into a happy-go-lucky grin as he took in her appearance and stepped inside her dorm.

"Hey there, gorgeous," the wolf cooed at her. He pulled her into a tight embrace before taking one of her hands in his. "Are you ready to go?"

"Of course," Kagome blushed.

With that, the demon led her out the door and out the building to where his car was parked. He opened the door for her in the true gentleman style and closed it carefully behind her. Kagome thought to herself that she could really adapt quickly to having a boyfriend. This wouldn't be bad at all. Kouga let himself into the driver's side and with the turn of a key, the pair was off.

.:'--':.

He was still knocking. Was she okay? She knew they had a date. She wouldn't just leave.

"Kikyou?"

There was still no answer. Inuyasha started pounding on the door.

"Are you there, babe?"

His voice was becoming panicked. Inuyasha dialed her dorm number and cell phone, but she wouldn't grace his frantic ears with her soothing voice.

Inuyasha took off his coat and hung it on the doorknob. Giving one last desperate knock on the door, Inuyasha reluctantly turned and sprinted down the down the three flights of stairs to the ground floor.

Once on the ground floor, Inuyasha grabbed a handful of gravel off the walk and tossed them gently at her window. Wait. Was her window…open? Inuyasha didn't hesitate one more second.

A small crowd was gathering. In just seconds the few bystanders had become a massive pack. All stood transfixed with their chins pointing toward the sky. Many more, curiosity aroused, were joining the crowd by the second. Some half-crazed student was inching himself up the brick building. He had a couple of missteps, but with the encouragement from his audience, it looked like he might make it.

Inuyasha pulled himself up the last few inches and gripped the windowsill with all that was left of his strength. Balancing his weight on his forearm, Inuyasha used his other hand to push the window the rest of the way open. As he swung one leg inside the miniature apartment, the crowd below went wild, but the boy didn't hear any of it. His mind was only focused on one goal.

"Kikyou?" Inuyasha couldn't restrain himself from screaming. He darted around her dorm room calling her name. She wasn't in either bed or on the couch. Just when he had decided to call the police, Inuyasha saw it.

The door to one of the closets was open.

There was a shoe sticking out just past the door.

It was a shoe with a foot in it.

Screaming her name again, Inuyasha closed the small distance and threw the door out of the way to expose his girlfriend's motionless form. He was at her side in a second. Gently touching her face, her eyes scrunched then flickered open.

"Hello, Inuyasha," Kikyou breathed quietly. "What's going on?"

"Don't move! Don't worry! I'm going to call and ambulance. Just relax!" Inuyasha was still suffering the effects of his adrenaline rush and he wasn't about to stop. Kikyou's pure, perfect laughter soothed his nerves and got his full attention immediately.

"I'm so sorry, dear! I was looking for an outfit for tonight and I just got tired, so I decided to lie down. I must have fallen asleep! You know I'm a sound sleeper. I'm so sorry I made you worry, but I'm fine, really." She smiled at him. His heart didn't feel quite right, but he had no reason not to trust her.

"Well," Inuyasha said, standing up and looking a bit sheepish, "put this on and let's leave before we're late." Inuyasha handed her an outfit that was to his liking and went to look out the window while she changed.

"Yeah! Go, Monkey Boy!! Again! Again!"

Inuyasha looked down. He blushed and gave his adoring fans a wave.

"What's that?" His curious girlfriend asked, "Who's 'Monkey Boy'?"

"I had to get up here somehow since I don't have a key. Hey, you done changing yet? Let's leave."

"Should we use the door or is using the window really that important to you?" Inuyasha chuckled as he led the way out the door, grabbing his coat on the way.

Kikyou paused before the mirror. She bent her right arm up, touching her right shoulder, to reveal a quickly purpling elbow. She winced as she realized that it would soon be twice its current size and a beautiful green-black color.

"You coming?" She quickly pulled her sleeve down as low as it would reach.

"I'm right behind you."

A/N: so I didn't get too much of a response from the first chapter, but maybe this will help :)


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